Non-Voice Technique

Rhea G. Balenton

Most teachers would agree that the more the teacher tells the pupils to keep quiet, the more they would create noise. In the end, it would be hard to distinguish on who really is creating the noise in class, Is it the pupils or the teacher?

“Class, please keep quiet! “,“Silence Please”, “No more talking Class” these seems to be the greetings of teachers now a days instead of sweet good morning class from the time she enters her classroom until the time she dismisses her class. Does it still affect the students in her class? Maybe for few seconds , yes they will stop talking. But the moment that the teacher stops or continues with her lesson ,the class continue their pleasure of endless chatting with their seatmates as if they haven’t seen each other for a decade.

So why not give Non Voice approach a try . Non Verbal approaches to discipline, most of the time, are louder and heard. Here are some techniques I found out to be effective, Thanks to the article Voiceless Disipline ( Liwanag, 2014 ) , A simple eye contact or long hard look may zip the lips of the student. Angry eyes with head shaking, sometimes really matter

Placing finger to your lips.

Stand near the talking pupils that would signal him to stop talking

A tap on the student’s shoulder may also be tried.

Color coded papers or simple cut-out objects with corresponding meaning may also be used to give first to third warnings.

Be Trendy: used sign of well known personalities trademarks , facial expression or mannerism , that would mean STOP ,( Well , I told my class when I do Duterte Fist that means they are near execution from kicking out of my class.

Although there is no exact or constant formula when it comes to imposing discipline in our class. We can laid down rules to serve as guide to our pupils

Teachers must be talented, patient and firm enough to try different tactics to make students follow. We should inculcate to our pupils that we are the teacher and they are the student and that rule should not be compromise at all time inside the classroom.

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The author is Teacher III at Dau Elementary School, Division of Mabalacat

City